Trenance Heritage Cottages

About the museum

Trenance Cottages are three Grade II listed Cornish cottages, called Vine, Middle and Rose, in Trenance Gardens in Newquay. They were formed from an older malthouse after about 1850 and are among the few buildings in Newquay that date from before the railway arrived in 1876. Residents over the years included lodgers, visitors, evacuees, a ship’s carpenter and a lifeboat coxswain, and the last occupants left in 1966.

After that the cottages became a museum of antiquities, run first by the Crantock family and then by Derek and Mary James. When the museum closed around the millennium the buildings fell into poor condition, and some councillors considered selling or demolishing them. A group of local volunteers, the Friends of Trenance Cottages, campaigned to save them, and a new charity took over the freehold from the council in 2009 for £1.

The Heritage Lottery Fund provided most of the money for a large community-led restoration. Today the heritage museum fills Vine and Middle Cottage, with two original cooking ranges, period furnishings, audio stories about the cottages and their residents, and a display on the history of tourism in Newquay. Rose Cottage is a function room, and the site also has a gift shop and a tearoom.

Highlights

• Rooms furnished to show how Cornish families lived from about 1870 to the 1920s
• Two original cooking ranges
• Audio stories about the cottages and their residents
• Display on the history of tourism in Newquay
• Restored pianola visitors can play

Permanent exhibition

• Heritage museum – Rooms furnished to show how Cornish families lived in the cottages, with original ranges, audio stories about residents and a display on the history of tourism in Newquay.

Operated by

Trenance Cottages Newquay (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The heritage museum is free to enter; donations are welcome.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Most of the site is wheelchair accessible, with flat paths and a disabled toilet with baby-change facilities. The upstairs rooms can be reached only by a narrow staircase. Friendly, well-behaved dogs are welcome. Visitors with mobility concerns are asked to call beforehand or speak to a volunteer on site.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

The accessible toilet includes baby-change facilities.

Getting there & parking

The cottages are on Trenance Road in Trenance Gardens, Newquay.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Garden tearoom serves cream teas and refreshments, and a gift shop and homeware shop are in the building.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 50 guests.

Rose Cottage function room holds up to 50 people, or can be split into two smaller rooms, with underfloor heating and full disabled access. It is licensed for small weddings of up to 40 guests, and catering is available from the tearoom.

Plan your visit